The Influential Nonprofit

The Power of Not Going it Alone

The Influential Nonprofit

Show Notes

What if you didn’t have to choose between trusting an expert and trusting yourself? In this solo episode, Maryanne unpacks how to find the right guide to navigate uncertainty—without ever giving up your agency, autonomy, or judgment.

Key Takeaways:

You can lean on someone else’s expertise without giving up your own authority; a good guide supports your decisions rather than replacing them. Endless research often becomes an attempt to eliminate uncertainty, but uncertainty can only be navigated, not removed. Many obstacles come not from reality but from the “stories” and assumptions we’ve absorbed, which can be challenged and rewritten. True independence is knowing when to ask for help so you can focus your time and energy on your highest-value work. The best coaches and experts are not trying to create copies of themselves; they help you make decisions that align with your own values and way of working.

“A poor guide says, Here's what you should do. I want you to do this. A great guide says, Here's what I know.”

“We don't remove the uncertainty; we work to navigate it together.”

“Sometimes the obstacle isn't the situation; it's the story we've attached to the situation.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Episode Reference:

Grisel Castaneda

[email protected] https://www.facebook.com/perlagrisel.castanedavargas (602) 399-7769

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